Means for electrically interconnecting conductors of wire and blade types



Aug. 8, i957 T. J. RYS 3,335,399

MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY INTERCONNECTING CONDUCTORS OF WIRE AND BLADE TYPES Filed June 16, 1965 ate This invention relates to an electrical connector for electrically interconnecting a wire-type electrical conductor and a blade-type electrical conductor, the connector being particularly adapted for use in fusible safety switches. In accordance with the invention, a pair of such connectors may be used for each pole of a multiple safety switch, the blade-receiving portions of one receiving a movable switch blade in an ON position of the switch, and the blade-receiving portions of the other receiving a blade-shaped terminal of a cartridge fuse.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved electrical connector for electrically interconnecting a wiretype electrical conductor and a blade-type electrical conductor.

Another object is to provide an electrical connector having a body member with an opening therethrough for receiving a wire-type electrical conductor, a clamping screw for clamping a wire-type electrical conductor, and a pair of generally L-shaped blade-receiving members each having a first leg portion extending through a slot in a side wall portion of the body member and a second leg portion spaced from the second leg portion of the other L-shaped member for the reception of a blade-type electrical conductor therebetween.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an insulating base having an electrical connector constructed Y in accordance with the invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the insulating base and electrical connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-4; of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector of FIG. 1.

An electrical connector constructed in accordance with the invention includes a generally U-shaped body member 10, a sliding crosshead member 12, a clamping screw 14, a pair of correspondingly positioned generally L- shaped blade-receiving members 16 and 18, an intermediate clamping plate member 20, a reinforcing spring member 22, and a pair of fastening screws 24 for securing the combination device to an insulating base member 26'.

The body member includes a pair of spaced leg portions 10a and 10'b the free end portions of which are grooved to slidingly receive the crosshead member 12 therebetween in a direction parallel to a bight portion 100 of the body member 10. The bight portion 100 is provided centrally with an unthreaded circular hole 10d for receiving one of the screws 24. The leg portion 10b is provided with a generally rectangular slot 10e for receiving a pair of connecting leg portions 16a and 18a respectively of the generally L-shaped blade-receiving members 16 and 18.

The crosshead member 12 is provided centrally with a threaded hole 12a for receiving the clamping screw 14, the outer end of which is provided with a hexagonal socket 14a for receiving a hexagonal socket wrench and the inner end of which terminates in a blunt-nosed conical portion 14b.

The connecting leg portion 18a of the member 18 is provided with a pair of holes 18b for respectively receiving a pair of apertured internally threaded extruded boss portions 16b provided on the connecting leg portion 161; of the member 16. The blade-receiving members 16 and "ice 18 also respectively include a pair of stationary contact jaw leg portions and 18c which serve as a pair of stationary contact jaws for receiving either a switch blade such as that shown in my Patent No. 3,287,533, issued Nov. 22, 1966, or a blade-shaped terminal 28 (FIG. 3) of a cartridge fuse (not shown). A reversely curved portion 16d joins the connecting leg portion 16a and the stationary contact jaw leg portion 160 of the member 16 and is provided with a sheared tongue portion 162 which serves as a stop for the blade terminal 28 to enable the fuse to be readily pried out from the stationary contact jaw leg portions 160 and 180.

The leg portions 10a and 10b of the body member 10 are provided respectively with a pair of outwardly bowed portions 10 and 10g for receiving the clamping screw 14 the-rebetween in partially surrounding relationship therewith on the inner side of the cross-head member 12. On opposite sides of the bowed portion 10 the leg portion 10a is provided with a pair of projections 10h extending toward the leg portion 10b. Similarly, on opposite sides of the bowed portion llllg, the leg portion 10b is provided with a pair of projections 10j extending toward the leg portion 10a. The intermediate clamping member 20 is slidingly received in the body member 10 between the free end portion of the connecting leg portion 16a on an inner side and the projections 10h and 10 on an outer side. An unthreaded hole 20a is provided centrally in the intermediate clamping member 20 for receiving the tip of the threaded shank portion of one of the screws 24, which prevents the clamping member 20 from sliding relatively to the body member 10.

In assembling, the blade-receiving members 16 and 18 are placed together with the boss portions 16b respectively disposed in the holes 1812 and the reinforcing spring member .22 is inserted over the stationary contact jaw leg portions 16c and 18c. The free end portions of the connecting leg portions 16a and 18a are then inserted through the slot we in the leg portion 10b of the body member 10. The intermediate clamping member 20 is then slid into place in the body member 10 between the free end portion of the leg portion 16a and the projections 10h= and 10 With the assembly thus far completed, the spring member 22 forces the free end portions of the stationary contact jaw leg portions 160 and toward each other to pivot the free end portion of the connecting leg portion 16a away from the free end portion of the connecting leg portion 18a and thus press the intermediate clamping member 20 into frictional engagement with the projections 10h and 101' so as to retain the clamping member 20 in the body member 10. The crosshead member 12 is then slid into position in the body member 10 and the clamping screw 14 is threaded through the crosshead member 12 sufficiently to cooperate with the bowed portions 10 and 10g and thus retain the crosshead member 12 in the body member 10. The assembly is then placed in position on the base member 26 and the screws 24 are turned into the internally threaded boss portions 16b from the under or rear side of the base member 26. The tightening of the screws 24 pulls the connecting leg portion 16a back into full engagement with the connecting leg portion 18a and releases the clamping member 20 from frictional engagement with the projections 10h and 10 but as this occurs, the shank of the respective screw 24 enters the hole 20a to retain the clamping member 20' in the body member 10 against any tendency to slide out therefrom.

The base member 26 may be secured by suitable means to the inner surface of a back or rear wall portion of an enclosure (not shown) forming a part of a fusible safety switch. A wire-type electrical conductor 29 connected to an electrical power source or load may be clamped between the clamping screw 14 and the intermediate clamping member 20', as shown schematically in FIGS. 1, 2, and

3, the crosshead member 12 being removed first for layin installation of the conductor 29 radially thereof it endwise feeding thereof into the body member 10 is difficult due to stiffness of the conductor and limited working space within the enclosure of the switch. For applications in which lay-in installation of conductors is not'required, the body member 10 and crosshead member 12 may be integral, in which case the crosshead member 12 may be considered a top wall portion, the leg portions 10a and 1% may be considered side wall portions, and the bight portion 100 may be considered a bottom wall portion, the terms having directional connotations (i.e., top, bottom, and side") being purely relative, it being understood that the device of the invention may be mounted in various positions.

The clamping member 20 is termed intermediate because when an electrical conductor such as the electrical conductor 29 is clamped thereto, the clamping member 20 is disposed electrically between the electrical conductor and the blade-receiving members 16 and 18 to which the electrical conductor is intended to be electrically connected.

Preferably the blade-receiving members 16 and 18 are formed mainly of copper and plated with a metal such as tin. The intermediate clamping member 20 is preferably formed mainly of aluminum and is homogeneous. That is, it has no separately formed inserts of other metals embedded therein or secured to any surface thereof, although it may be provided with a thin plating of a metal such as tin. The intermediate clamping member 20 is provided because it has been found to result in a good electrical connection between the copper blade-receiving members 16 and 18 and either a copper or an aluminum electrical conductor such as the conductor 29, in accordance with the teachings of US. Patent No. 3,187,299.

Various modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector for electrically interconnecting a wire-type electrical conductor and a blade-type electrical conductor, said connector comprising a body member having a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, and a pair of opposed side wall portions defining a wirereceiving aperture extending through said body member, a clamping screw threadedly mounted in said top wall portion and extensible into said aperture, a slot through one of said side wall portions communicating with said aperture adjacent said bottom wall portion, and a pair of correspondingly positioned generally L-shaped blade-receiving members each having a connecting leg portion and a stationary contact jaw leg portion, the connecting leg portions of said blade-receiving members extending through said slot, the free end portions of said connecting leg portions being disposed in said aperture opposite said clamping screw, and the stationary contact jaw leg portions of said blade-receiving members being positioned to receive a blade-type electrical conductor therebetween in electrical contact therewith.

2. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, including a spring member resiliently urging said stationary contact jaw leg portions toward each other.

3. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top wall portion is a crosshead member having opposite edge portions slidingly received respectively in said side wall portions.

4. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, including an intermediate homogeneous aluminum clamping plate member disposed in said aperture between said clamping screw and the free end portion of the one of said connecting leg portions disposed closer to said clamping screw, said clamping plate member being disposed between said one of said connecting leg portions and a wire type electrical conductor when said wire-type electrical conductor is clamped by said clamping screw.

5. For use in electrically interconnecting a wire-type electrical conductor and a blade-type electrical conductor, an electrical connector and mounting means therefor comprising a body member having a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, and a pair of opposed side wall portions defining a wire-receiving aperture extending through said body member, a clamping screw threadedly mounted in said top wall portion and extensible into said aperture, a slot through one of said side wall portions communicating with said aperture adjacent said bottom wall portion, a pair of correspondingly positioned generally L-shaped blade-receiving members each having a connecting leg portion and a stationary contact jaw leg portion, the connecting leg portions of said blade-receiving members extending through said slot, the free end portions of said 2 connecting leg portions being disposed in said aperture opposite said clamping screw, and the stationary contact jaw leg portions of said blade-receiving members being positioned to receive a blade-type electrical conductor therebetween in electrical contact therewith, an inter- 3 mediate homogeneous aluminum clamping plate member disposed in said aperture between said clamping screw and the free end portion of the one of said connecting leg portions disposed closer to said clamping screw, an insulating base member, and a mounting screw extending 3 through said base member from one side thereof and securing the bottom wall portion of said body member against the other side thereof, said mounting screw extending through said bottom wall portion and said connecting leg portions and into said clamping plate member 4 to prevent sliding movement of said clamping plate member relatively to said body member, and said mounting screw being threadedly engaged with one of two members including said clamping plate member and said one connecting leg portion.

6. An electrical connector and mounting means as claimed in claim 5, wherein said mounting screw is threadedly engaged with the free end portion of said one connecting leg portion.

7. An electrical connector and mounting means as claimed in claim 5, including an additional mounting screw extending through said base member from said one side thereof and through the other of said connecting leg portions into threaded engagement with said one of said connecting leg portions in a portion thereof outside said body member.

55 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,516,572 7/1950 Heller 339272 2,924,805 2/1960 Lenehan 339272 X 6 3,027,440 3/1962 Daly 339272 X FOREIGN PATENTS 966,537 8/ 1957 Germany.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Examiner, 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRICALLY INTERCONNECTING A WIRE-TYPE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR AND A BLADE-TYPE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR, SAID CONNECTOR COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER HAVING A TOP WALL PORTION, A BOTTOM WALL PORTION, AND A PAIR OF OPPOSED SIDE WALL PORTIONS DEFINING A WIRERECEIVING APERTURE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY MEMBER, A CLAMPING SCREW THREADEDLY MOUNTED IN SAID TOP WALL PORTION AND EXTENSIBLE INTO SAID APERTURE, A SLOT THROUGH ONE OF SAID SIDE WALL PORTIONS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID APERTURE ADJACENT SAID BOTTOM WALL PORTION, AND A PAIR OF CORRESPONDINGLY POSITIONED GENERALLY L-SHAPED BLADE-RECEIVING MEMBERS EACH HAVING A CONNECTING LEG PORTION AND A STATIONARY CONTACT JAW LEG PORTION, THE CONNECTING LEG PORTIONS OF SAID BLADE-RECEIVING MEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOT, THE FREE END PORTIONS OF SAID CONNECTING LEG PORTIONS BEING DISPOSED IN SAID APERTURE OPPOSITE SAID CLAMPING SCREW, AND THE STATIONARY CONTACT JAW LEG PORTIONS OF SAID BLADE-RECEIVING MEMBERS BEING POSITIONED TO RECEIVE A BLADE-TYPE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR THEREBETWEEN IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT THEREWITH. 